


5 times they didn't

by Maia_Nebula



Series: 5 times they didn't +1 time they tried + 1 time they did (Muffy) [1]
Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: 13th College Party, 1st year anniversary, Anyway the chapters are:, Camping Goodbye, F/M, Fluff, Moving In Together, Muffy - Freeform, Prom Night, This is the '5' part, Without the other two parts of the series I mean, and, it can be read on its own, part of a series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-08-14 16:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20194996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maia_Nebula/pseuds/Maia_Nebula
Summary: “Happy anniversary,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. She nodded, unable to reply, and he stepped back and kissed her. She couldn’t help but break the kiss.“Wait…” It took her a moment to gather her thoughts because they were incoherent. “What is it we’re doing in your room?”He raised an eyebrow cheekily, helping them both remove their outerwear.“What do you think? We’re gonna celebrate the occasion.”She shook her head, terrified.“I’m not ready to celebrate it.”He smiled warmly.“Sure you are.”





	1. 1st Year Anniversary

Cyrus placed his hand over hers briefly, frowning.  
“Stop fidgeting.” 

She gave him a tight smile and nodded.  
“If you don’t want to do it, then don’t.”

Buffy rolled her eyes.  
“You say it like it’s simple.”  
“It is.” Cyrus’ frown deepened. “Has he said he wants to…?” 

She shook her head, lowering her gaze.  
“Then why are you getting yourself all worked up about it?”  
“It’s our first-year anniversary, Cy.” He raised an eyebrow. She huffed. “He’s waited long enough.”  
“That’s not how this works. It’s a huge step. I’m sure he won’t want you guys to take it lightly.” 

She nodded again, unconvinced, and looked at him.  
“Have you and TJ…?” 

Cyrus blushed beet red.  
“Why do you ask?”  
“Oh my God, you have!” Buffy fell back on her bed and groaned.  
“What does that have to do with anything?”  
“You’re such a goody two-shoes and you did it before I did. This is a nightmare.” 

He placed his hand on hers again, but this time he kept it there.  
“It isn’t. This isn’t a competition, Buff. If you’re not ready, just say so. I’m sure he’ll respect that.” 

Her lips turned downward.  
“He’ll hate me.”  
“He won’t. Trust me.” Standing up, he started going through the clothes hanging in her closet. “Now, lets get you something really unflattering to wear and draw a couple of pimples on your forehead.” 

She let out a laugh and joined him.

\---

Her long-sleeved sweater rode up under her coat and she pulled it down anxiously. Cyrus swatted her hand.  
“_Stop fidgeting_.”  
“Sorry! I can’t help it!”  
“If you keep doing that, he’ll worry something’s wrong and you’ll have to explain everything. Is that what you want?” 

She shook her head nervously, but the bell rang before she could say anything. She looked in the general direction of the door, wide-eyed. Cyrus smiled.  
“Go on, open it. You’ll be fine.”  
“You promise?” She whispered, scared.  
“I promise.”

He hugged her and pushed her towards the door.  
“Now go open it.” 

She nodded and walked to it as Cyrus looked on from the dining room. He gave her an encouraging nod as she placed her hand on the doorknob and looked at him.  
“You’ll be fine.” He mouthed and she nodded again, pulling it open. Marty was on the other side, smiling broadly and carrying a bouquet of colorful carnations in his arms.  
“Happy first anniversary,” he said softly. She smiled a little stiffly, taking the flowers and letting him in. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cyrus moving out of view.  
“Thank you. Happy first anniversary to you, too.”  
“Yeah, thanks.” Marty sounded nervous. It made her nervous. They were both nervous. This couldn’t be good. “The florist said they were for first-year wedding anniversaries, but it isn’t like there are any arrangements for first anniversaries of our type.”  
“Oh,” was all she could reply, walking to the kitchen to put them in water. 

He followed her, clearing his throat.  
“So… I made a dinner reservation… and… I was wondering if you’d like to go back to my place afterwards.”

That raised every red flag in her book. She turned her back to him, her face torn between blushing and blanching.  
“Oh?”  
“Yeah…” His voice was tentative. “My parents won’t be home, just so you know.” 

She heard a cough from two rooms over that made her wonder at Cyrus amazing sense of hearing. She knew what he meant by it, but she couldn’t come up with anything.  
“Oh.” 

Buffy heard Marty chuckle behind her, before he moved close and hugged her, placing his chin in the crook of her neck.  
“_‘Oh’?_ You sure are talkative today.” 

She laughed shakily.  
“I’m just a bit nervous, that’s all.”  
“Why?” 

She shrugged, her shoulder moving Marty’s head up and down with it. He squeezed her fondly.  
“Come on, say you’ll come. I promise you’ll like it.” 

She let out an uneasy laugh and nodded. He pecked her lips happily when she turned around. Cyrus coughed again as they walked out the door.

\---

Everything was the right texture; flavorwise, she didn’t know, as everything tasted like cardboard and was hard to swallow. In the end she cleared her throat so often that Marty ended up looking at her funny and asking if she was getting a cold. She tried to laugh it off, but soon the meal ended and Marty was pulling her chair back so she could stand up.

Her hands were sweating so much that she opted for placing her glove-covered hands around his arm, worried that he might feel their dampness through the fabric. He looked at her with a curious expression again but didn’t say anything. She silently thanked him for it. And, as Marty seemed perfectly content with their silence as they walked on slowly, snow crunching under their feet, she wordlessly thanked him for that, too. /p> 

\---

Unfortunately, the silence didn’t last as long as Buffy wished it to.  
“You ok?” 

She gave him a look.  
“Yeah. Why?”  
“Dunno.” He looked at her. “You’re behaving strangely, that’s all.” 

She laughed nervously; she seemed to be doing that a lot lately.  
“It’s nothing, don’t worry.” 

Marty softly pulled his arm closer to his side, effectively moving her closer, too.  
“I do worry. Is something wrong?” She shook her head and he sighed. “You know you can tell me anything.” 

She bit her lip and kept looking forward. He turned his gaze forward as well.  
“Fine. Don’t tell me if you don’t want to.” 

The air shifted around them, and Buffy suddenly felt guilty: she didn’t want to ruin their anniversary. Timidly, she rested her head on his shoulder.  
“You know I love you, right?” 

She could hear the smile in his voice when he answered that he loved her, too.

\---

The sound of the key turning in the lock was deafening, but she knew it just felt like that because she was freaking out. Trying to keep her composure, she took a deep breath and stepped in. He walked in right after her and locked the door.

That made her heart beat faster still.

With a smile, he took her hand and led her up the stairs. She was grateful he wasn’t looking at her, as she felt like she was marching to the gallows, which made it hard to think straight. He finally stopped in front of his door and turned to look at her.

She’d been in it so many times, but this time she was scared to walk in. She wondered briefly if she was as pale as she felt, but doubted he’d noticed it, as he engulfed her in a hug.  
“Happy anniversary,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. She nodded, unable to reply, and he stepped back and kissed her. She couldn’t help but break the kiss.  
“Wait…” It took her a moment to gather her thoughts because they were incoherent. “What is it we’re doing in your room?” 

He raised an eyebrow cheekily, helping them both remove their outerwear.  
“What do you think? We’re gonna celebrate the occasion.” 

She shook her head, terrified.  
“I’m not ready to celebrate it.” 

He smiled warmly.  
“Sure you are.” His voice was gentle as he tugged her hand playfully. “I promise you’ll like it.” 

The way he was looking at her made her stomach do somersaults, and that made her nauseous. She really hoped she didn’t vomit: that would definitely ruin the moment, _and_ their whole anniversary. Biting her lip again, she nodded and he opened the door.

Marty’s room was filled with flowers, the same colorful carnations he’d gifted her with at the beginning of the night. He closed the door behind him, and placed their winter clothing on his chair. She felt herself start shaking as he led her to his bed.  
“Marty…” She said, pulling back. He smiled and waggled his eyebrows suggestively.  
“What?” 

His arms encircled her and he rested his forehead against hers.  
“There’s no need to freak out. I promise.” 

She swallowed. He’d had a girlfriend. He’d waited a year. He surely knew what he was doing.

She nodded.

Smiling again, he reached his bed and sat down, resting his back against his headboard. He signaled her to do the same, so she did. On his nightstand she saw a small, square-ish foil packet and her trembling intensified.  
“Cold?” Marty asked, placing his arm around her and rubbing her arm comfortingly. 

Not knowing what else to say, she nodded. He turned and kissed her.

The kiss was soft, as always, easily confused with a peck, although longer. But then he softly bit her bottom lip and she felt something stirring in her.

Their position was awkward, so he let her go and tilted her chin up, tracing her lips with his tongue. It was incredibly arousing, and she found herself opening her mouth, wanting more.

Having his tongue in her mouth was glorious.

But the contact was brief, as he moved back as suddenly as the kiss had started.  
“Happy anniversary,” he whispered. 

She opened her eyes dazedly. She became more alert, however, when he turned to his nightstand.

This was it, she knew it.

But he turned back with his remote control, turning the TV on. _What?_

Her favorite movie was cued up and he snuggled close to her again.  
“Sorry about the ‘no popcorn’ situation.” He commented. “I thought we wouldn’t need any as we just ate.” He then turned to her with a worried expression. “Although I can get some if you want.” 

Her gaze softening, she moved forward and kissed him. She could feel him grinning against her lips as she broke away.  
“I guess that’s a no?” 

She smiled and nodded. He pressed play.


	2. Prom Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is the last big thing we’re doing before graduation,” he started, looking nervous. “And I was wondering if we could do something special.” 
> 
> Her heart sped up.  
“Special like what?”

The ride in the limo was the most luxurious one Buffy had ever been on in her life. She happily sang along with Andi, Jonah, Cyrus, TJ and Marty as music blared from its speakers, taking selfies that would probably be too blurry for InstaPic, not that she cared.

She couldn’t help thinking that this was the greatest thing ever as she laughed and moved her upper body as much as she could without hitting anyone with her arms. Well, she thought that until they reached the lavishly decorated auditorium.  
“Wow, Andi,” she breathed, and Andi beamed next to her. Her team had certainly done an amazing job with the set up. “I can’t believe you did all of this in three days.”  
“What can I say? We’re amazing.”  
“Careful.” Cyrus said, pointing to the floor. “You dropped your humbleness.” 

Andi laughed.  
“I think I earned the right to boast for a bit, don’t you?” 

Cyrus gave her a one-armed hug, chuckling and nodding, before TJ pulled him towards the dance floor.

\---

Hours later, Buffy had no feet left to dance with. Marty walked her to a chair, limping slightly.  
“I can’t feel my legs.” 

She giggled.  
“Me neither.” She patted the chair next to her. “Wanna sit?”  
“Let me get us some punch first.” 

Buffy nodded gratefully and looked back to the dance floor, where a slow song had started. She smiled fondly at Jonah and Andi, who’d still wanted to make the night special for each other although they’d remained friends; and at TJ and Cyrus, who were talking as they swayed to the music.

Marty plopped down next to her and handed her her drink, bringing her out of her thoughts.  
“Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome,” he replied, but didn’t grin. She frowned at him.  
“You ok?” 

He nodded absently, his eyes on his fingers, intertwined around his cup. She placed her hand over his and he looked up at her.  
“You ok?” She repeated. He swallowed.  
“This is the last big thing we’re doing before graduation,” he started, looking nervous. “And I was wondering if we could do something special.” 

Her heart sped up.  
“Special like what?”  
“I asked around,” he deflected, “and everyone else has already done it, and they all’ve said it’s the greatest experience ever.” He looked back at his hands. “Plus, we really should have done it by now, anyway… But I don’t want to ruin tonight for you.” 

Buffy wanted to ask ‘do what?’, but she had a pretty clear idea of what he was referring to, and her breathing stuttered when she thought about Marty’s boldness in asking other people about it. He either really wanted to do it, or he wanted reassurance that he wasn’t making a mistake.

But he wouldn’t be making one. They were certainly old enough, and they’d been together for four years already, so it made sense that he’d want to take the next step. Plus, it was almost a tradition to do it on prom night.

Wasn’t it?

She didn’t feel ready at all, but she couldn’t deny him this, so she licked her lips and then moved forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. He looked at her, surprised.  
“Let’s do it, then.”  
“You don’t even know what it is,” he whispered. She gave him a small smile.  
“I don’t, but I trust you.” 

He laughed and hugged her, before taking her hand as they stood up. She looked out to the dance floor one last time, catching Cyrus’ eye and waving goodbye. Cyrus raised his eyebrows but waved back all the same.

\---

Buffy didn’t know the address the Uber was driving them to but seeing Marty so happy meant she had made the right decision, regardless of what the butterflies violently fluttering in her stomach were doing to her nerves. She clenched the skirt of her gown tightly with the hand that Marty wasn’t holding, trying to control her breathing. She was doing this for him, and she’d heard enough to know she’d enjoy it.

It’d hurt, but she’d enjoy it.

_Oh, man, this was a stupid decision._

She looked out the window as they stopped and Marty got out, going around the car to open her door. She thanked him as she stepped out and onto the sidewalk, right in front of a movie theater.

_What?_

Confused, she turned to Marty, who looked as excited as he had in the limo.  
“I can’t believe it. Our first 4D midnight premiere!” 

Buffy looked at the long line in front of the ticket booth and back at him.  
“Don’t worry,” he winked, “I got our tickets online.” 

And with that he took her hand and led her in. She walked clumsily by him, bemused. He wanted to make their night special by leaving the dance and going to watch a movie? Sure, they both loved Marvel, but that didn’t make sense…

But he didn’t notice her confusion as he purposefully walked towards the concession stand, smiling.  
“Oh, you’re so gonna love it! I thought about inviting the rest of the gang, but I think it’s better this way.” He pulled her close and kissed her hair. “And I know just the thing to make it better.” 

He almost buzzed with anticipation as they waited in line. She couldn’t keep quiet any longer.  
“So we left prom to watch a movie in a tux and gown?” 

Marty nodded gleefully.  
“Everyone I asked has been to a 4D movie already, but we’re making it special by our dress code.” She rolled her eyes and he chuckled. “And by what we’re eating. You don’t think I brought you to the edge of town just for the sake of it, do you?” 

She shrugged and he chuckled again as they stepped up to the counter.  
“Two Cheetos popcorns, one Snickers, one peanut M&Ms, and two large Cokes, please.”  
“Cheetos popcorn?” 

He nodded, a playful glint in his eyes.  
“We’re just here for the cheese puffs.”  
“You said it’s popcorn.”  
“No, it’s _powdered cheddar cheese covered popcorn_ and real Cheetos,” he clarified as he paid for the items. “And Cheetos are cheese puffs. So, technically, it’s a cheese puff upgrade.” 

She poked his side before helping him collect their snacks.  
“So we came all this way for a cheese puff upgrade?”  
“No. We came all the way out here for two.” 

He grinned like an idiot and she couldn’t help laughing.

And she ended up loving the movie.

And the upgraded cheese puffs, too.


	3. Camping Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Also, no one will want to sleep on the wet spot.”  
“Yeah, so make sure to put a pillow beneath you.”  
“No, Cy, _you_ need that to set up an angle. She won’t.” 
> 
> Cyrus furrowed his brows.  
“How do you do it, then?” 
> 
> Andi raised an eyebrow.  
“With Jonah or with Amber?” 
> 
> Cyrus shrugged.  
“With both, I guess.”  


“Also, no one will want to sleep on the wet spot.”  
“Yeah, so make sure to put a pillow beneath you.”  
“No, Cy, _you_ need that to set up an angle. She won’t.” 

Cyrus furrowed his brows.  
“How do you do it, then?” 

Andi raised an eyebrow.  
“With Jonah or with Amber?” 

Cyrus shrugged.  
“With both, I guess.”  
“We use a towel and take turns.” 

Buffy groaned.  
“My God, I can’t believe you guys are talking about this.” 

Andi rubbed her back comfortingly.  
“We just want to prepare you so you can enjoy it.” 

Buffy squeezed her eyes shut. Cyrus smiled.  
“There’s no need to worry. He loves you and he’s a hopeless romantic, so he’ll take it slow.” 

Andi snorted, making Cyrus glare at her.  
“Sorry! You’re just so sappy.” 

Cyrus huffed.  
“So? Marty is, too. I mean, they’re going to Cherry Springs State Park, which is days away, mind you, right before they’re off _to the same college_. Why are they even going on this trip if they’ll be at the same place for years?”  
“Dunno.”  
“I do: it’s because he wants their first time to be romantic,” Cyrus said triumphantly.  
“Great. Well, mine was messy, so… Good for him.” 

Buffy buried her face in her hands, making the other two laugh. Andi rubbed her back again.  
“Don’t worry! You love him, right? Doesn’t taking this step feel right?” 

Buffy sighed, so Cyrus gave her a one-armed hug.  
“That’s just it: it doesn’t _because I’m not ready_…”  
“Then tell him so. I’m sure he’ll respect that.”  
“You promise?” 

He linked his pinky with hers.  
“I promise.” 

She sighed again and Andi placed her head on her shoulder.  
“However, if the mood is right,” Andi ventured, “you might want to, and that’s ok, too.” 

Buffy bit her lip. It would have to be one hell of a mood.

She nodded anyway.

\---

She might have packed more than she needed to, she thought, as Marty hauled her bags into the vehicle, but he was grinning.  
“How often are you gonna change?” 

She crossed her arms.  
“I wanna look good for you,” she replied. It wasn’t like she was gonna tell him she wanted to make sure she had enough clothes for every occasion so that there wouldn’t be a reason for her to be naked… So she didn’t say anything as he laughed and turned to her, walking back down the steps to give her a hand. She smiled and follow him in. 

The RV wasn’t spacious, but it was cozy, she thought, as he gave her a short tour inside. They ended up in front of the double bed and she swallowed: she had hoped for a King-sized one to avoid sleeping too close to him. The skylight above the bed was nice, though.  
“You like?” 

She nodded and he pulled her close.  
“Great! Then let’s get ready for the best week of our lives.”

She smiled shakily and walked out the room with him.

\---

The first night was jarring.

Her heart beat in her throat when, after kissing her goodnight, he turned her around to spoon her. But she didn’t feel…anything… against her back or bottom, and he didn’t try anything…

She still couldn’t sleep at all.

And then it was the next morning and he kept stopping everywhere for photos and real beef jerky (disgusting – Slim Jims were the only acceptable ones in her book), like nothing had happened. But nothing had, so why was she freaking out?

Too tired that night, it was more like she fell unconscious than she fell asleep, and she didn’t even notice when Marty moved her body for her to be the little spoon.

\---

They reached their destination on the third afternoon. This was it, this was really it, so she showered after dinner and considered placing the dark red towel she’d brought with her in the middle of the bed. She decided not to – she didn’t want him to get any ideas.

But he soon finished with the dishes and walked into the room.  
“You smell like baby powder.” He stated. She shrugged.  
“What of it?”  
“You usually smell like coconuts and happiness.” He smiled and she rolled her eyes.  
“So?”  
“It’s off-putting.” 

_That’s the point._ His expression was suddenly mischievous.  
“Wanna shower again?”  
“Why would I? I’m clean.”  
“I wanna be clean, too.” 

What he implied was clear and she could feel herself blanching with a blush. How was that even possible? He chuckled and placed his arms around her waist.  
“I’m kidding! You should look at your face.” 

She looked to the side and hugged him. It didn’t help her calm down, so she squeezed her eyes shut: she could only hope he was an 11.5-seconds type of guy so that it’d be over soon.

\---

She walked nervously to her side of the bed and let out a breath. She could do this, she could do this, _she could do this_.

He didn’t seem bothered at all as he laid on top of the covers, looking up.

Nodding to herself, she copied him, trying to settle down without moving too much – she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. As soon as she was next to him, he reached out and held her hand.  
“Thank you for showering again,” he said softly. She hummed.  
“Thank you for showering, too.” 

He turned to look at her, grinning.  
“I just wanted to make sure you hadn’t used up all the hot water.” 

She rolled her eyes. At least he had given her some privacy and waited however many minutes it took her to scrub her skin raw. He looked at the stars again.  
“I love how you smell. It’s like being at the beach.” He sounded pensive. “Or how I imagine it smells like; I’ve never been.” 

Buffy raised an eyebrow.  
“Why didn’t we go to one, then?” 

Marty shrugged.  
“I thought this would be more romantic.” Yeah, he was a sap. She couldn’t ponder it for long, as he pulled her closer and kissed her hair. “I mean, it’s our first time all alone.”  
“We’ve been alone before,” she stammered. 

He leaned down, moving her chin up.  
“You know what I mean.” And he kissed her softly. 

She knew her breathing was speeding up but she couldn’t stop it, and it got worse when he turned to lie down his side, tilting her face towards him with his palm. His tongue caressed her bottom lip and she felt her lips parting instinctively. He moved again, almost on top of her, and pushed his tongue inside.

She moaned softly as her hands went to his shoulders, wanting to pull him closer, and the hand on her face went down to her waist as he propped himself up on his elbow. He looked at her fondly.  
“I love you. You know that, right?” 

Buffy nodded, on edge.  
“And I wanted tonight to be unforgettable, all of it, from our mac and cheese dinner to us right here, under the stars…” His voice was soft. “Have I succeeded?” 

She replied breathlessly.  
“Yes.” 

Marty smiled and moved back down to kiss her. This time she let herself be swept by the moment, her body reacting, her mind blank. This must be what Andi meant when she mentioned the right mood… So she started kissing him back more ardently, her hands on the nape of his neck, on the small of his back. He broke the kiss and laughed.  


_What?_  
“Woah there, lady,” he whispered and laughed again, pecking her lips before lying back down next to her. He gently took hold of her hand again. “I really hope you remember this forever,” he said, moving their intertwined hands to kiss hers, and placing them against his chest; she could feel his heart beating wildly, “because I feel I’ve won over the universe when I look at you.” 

Oh God, definitely a sap. She blinked back tears and pulled their hands to her lips to kiss his.

And they continued stargazing until they fell asleep…


	4. 13th College Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She took one last swig from the red cup, smiling. True, this was the first party she drank at, but she’d been a good girl for the previous twelve, so _no one_ had any right to look down on her.
> 
> Plus, she was wearing all the right clothes –a black sweater, black jeans and black Vans–, so anyone could spill their drink on her and no one would notice. But she would notice, she thought, frowning, and she’d kick that person’s ass.
> 
> But she shouldn’t start a fight, the little voice in her head whined. She was a good girl, so she should go find a corner to stand in so that people wouldn’t bump into her, spilling drinks.
> 
> Awesome plan.

She took one last swig from the red cup, smiling. True, this was the first party she drank at, but she’d been a good girl for the previous twelve, so _no one_ had any right to look down on her.

Plus, she was wearing all the right clothes –a black sweater, black jeans and black Vans–, so anyone could spill their drink on her and no one would notice. But she would notice, she thought, frowning, and she’d kick that person’s ass.

But she shouldn’t start a fight, the little voice in her head whined. She was a good girl, so she should go find a corner to stand in so that people wouldn’t bump into her, spilling drinks.

Awesome plan.

Sadly, no corners were available.

She pouted and walked towards the bar a bit dazedly. Her roommate gestured towards the table where some of her classmates had progressed from playing Beer Pong to playing Chandelier, but she shook her head. She was a good girl; she couldn’t get drunk.

Oh, _Jagerbombs!_

She’d heard so much about them! She smiled widely, maybe wider than was warranted. Well, her cheeks hurt, but whatever. It apparently amused the frat guy that was mixing drinks.  
“You ok there?” 

She nodded enthusiastically, her head almost moving to the beat of the music. The would-be bartender chuckled.  
“How many have you had?” When she put up two fingers, he chuckled again. “Only two?” 

She nodded again, though she was lying, her eyes crinkling and bright. He shook his head.  
“Well, that’s all you’re having tonight, I’m afraid, as _you_, my friend, are a _lightweight_.” 

His words were hurtful. Her lips turned downwards, and she sniffed, but the guilt-trip didn’t seem to be working on him. He handed off another shot to someone with their back to her, and stepped closer.  
“It’s for your own good. Trust me. You’ll hate yourself tomorrow.” 

Her eyes filled with tears. 

Nope, still not working. In fact, he dared to laugh! Her tears dried immediately, and she frowned.  
“Is this your first time drinking?” She glared. “Are you even 21?” 

Could she glare harder? She shrugged and tried to. He was grinning.  
“You do know you can answer with words instead of eye daggers, right?” 

She couldn’t help it, but she bit her lip because she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of smiling back. She doubted he’d noticed, though, as he’d turned back to the table, preparing and handing over a couple of plastic cups to other people.

She wanted another one of the many (wait, how many?) colorful drinks she’d been given and downed, but it didn’t look like he’d make her one… So, taking advantage of the distraction, she inched closer slowly, reaching for the beer-filled solo cups, and–

–she toppled two over, wetting her sneakers and jeans.

This time, real tears sprang to her eyes. The guy was by her side at once with a dishtowel, patting her thigh. She swatted him away as tears left her eyes.

He looked up at her, a faint blush on his cheeks.  
“Sorry. Knee-jerk reaction.” 

She looked away, then swallowed and looked back at him. Drying her tears with one hand, she extended the other.  
“Buffy.” 

He beamed, his eyes twinkling.  
“She speaks!” He took her hand and shook it gently. “Liam.” 

Shaking her head, she looked away, this time unable to stop the smile working its way across her face. She heard him step back, talking to other partygoers as he mixed their drinks, but then he was next to her again.  
“Did you come alone?” 

Buffy turned to him, surprised. He raised his hands.  
“Easy. I just wanna make sure you can get home safely.” 

She looked behind her and pointed to her friend, who was howling with laughter in the background. He furrowed his brow.  
“Right…” Liam clucked his tongue. “Well, your friend is also drunk, so… Any other plans on how to get back?” 

She shook her head. He sighed.  
“Again, God gave you a voice.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “You can use it, you know. He won’t get angry.” 

She snorted. He looked around, as if trying to spot someone.  
“What house are you in?” She shook her head again: she was sorority-less. Sorority-lacking?

His gaze was back on her.  
“Well, Buffy, that leaves you with few options… You can Uber, if it's not close by. Or,” he shrugged, “you can stay the night, if you want–” 

Her eyes widened, making him crack up. She immediately scowled.  
“I’m not that funny. Stop laughing at me.”  
“Sorry, sorry, sorry.” He replied, trying to control himself as he raised his hands once more. “Your face is very expressive.” 

Liam cleared his throat.  
“I meant ‘stay the night’ as in ‘stay the night’, nothing else. Promise.” 

She let out a breath.  
“I dunno if I should: I feel like the world is spinning and I’m the copilot.”  
“What?”  
“Long story.” 

She swayed on the spot and Liam put one of his arms around her shoulders at once to hold her up. Lol, like she would _ever_ fall over. Who was she? Cyrus?  
“You ok there?” He asked, repeating the line with which he had started their interaction. She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. He smelled nice.  
“I’m fine.” 

He pulled her close before trying to carefully steer her to an empty chair. She tripped anyway (stupid Vans). He didn’t seem to mind, kneeling in front of her beer-infused apparel once he’d sat her down.  
“Is there someone you could call?” 

Man, such a gentleman. Buffy felt like weeping, then nodded. He pulled out his phone.  
“Then option number three it is!” He exclaimed happily. “What’s the number?” 

Ok, ‘felt like’ changed to ‘started’, and Liam comfortingly put a hand on her arm.  
“Shh, shh, everything’s fine. We’re just gonna call the person, and they’re gonna give you a ride, and you’ll vomit and pass out on your bed and wake up hating everyone –including yourself– tomorrow. No biggie.” 

Buffy knew he was trying to be funny to make her feel better, but she still wanted to poke his eye.  
“So,” he gently insisted, “what’s the number?” 

\---

Buffy squirmed as he tickled her. Well, he wasn’t really tickling her – he was actually trying to push her hands into her own pockets so that she’d take out her key. It still tickled, though, so she continued wriggling. He sighed.  
“Buffy…” He groaned.  
“Marty…” She replied. It made him smile.  
“Buffy, come on, I already fireman-carried you to the car, helped you with putting on and taking off the seatbelt without strangling yourself, and gave you a piggyback ride up the stairs. Can you _please _take your key out of your pocket?”  
“Why don’t _you_ take it out?” She asked defiantly. 

He rolled his eyes.  
“That’s beside the point.”  
“What’s the point, then?”  
“That it’s late,” he replied, interlacing their fingers, “and I could be _sleeping_ right now…” 

She ignored him and shook his hands off of hers, placing her arms around his neck.  
“I met Liam tonight.” She said, non sequitur, and he grinned.  
“So I gathered.”  
“You met him, too.”  
“Considering he was the one that called me, I kinda had to.”  
“He was nice.”  
“I’m glad to hear that.”  
“He smelled nice.”

Marty chuckled, resting his forehead against hers. She went cross-eyed.  
“Oh, did he?”  
“Yeah, but you smell nicer.”  
“I’m gladder to hear _that_. And you know what would make me really, really… gladdest?” 

She shook her head. He hugged her waist and squeezed her briefly.  
“You getting your key out of your pocket.” 

Buffy laughed and pulled him towards her, moving so her back was resting against the door.  
“To go to my room?”  
“It’s like you can read my mind!” 

She dismissed his irony, staring at his mouth shamelessly.  
“And then what?” 

His smile slowly slipped off his face.  
“We’re gonna make you take some Tylenol and then put you to bed.”

She gave him a half-shrug.  
“I spilled a couple of beers on myself.” Biting her lip, she asked, “should I change my clothes?” 

Marty moved back, his hands on her forearms, trying to disentangle himself from her, but she pulled him closer. He glanced at her mouth for a second. Their noses were touching.  
“You should,” he answered softly.  
“And you?” 

And she closed the distance between them, her lips on his. He pulled back almost instantly.

_What?_  
“Stop.” 

She sniffled and pouted before trying to kiss him again. He didn’t let her.  
“I’m not joking. Stop it.” 

Buffy crossed her arms.  
“What’s wrong with wanting–?” How could she put it politely?  
“Wanting what?” He replied. “Something you won’t remember tomorrow? Something you should definitely _not_ _do tonight_? You’re drunk, Buffy, you have no idea what you want.”  
“That’s not true. You know it isn’t. I’ve always wanted you.” 

He looked at her, apparently counting to ten, before speaking again.  
“This is not the way to do it, then. This is not what you’d want if you weren’t drunk. And this isn’t what I want, and I’m sober. So just trust me on this.”

Why _did_ she have to keep trusting people? Why couldn’t _he_ trust _her_? But it was obvious he didn’t, and she covered her face with her hands in humiliation as she slid down the door.

Marty sat down in front of her and hugged her.  
“I know you’re upset now,” he said, tenderly wiping her tears, “but you’ll understand tomorrow.”

She nodded and hugged him back. He kissed her hair.  
“I love you. You know that, right?”

She nodded again and tried to take deep breaths.

After a couple of minutes, Buffy moved, getting her key out of her right back pocket and giving it to him. Pulling her up with him, Marty opened the door and turned on the light.


	5. Moving In Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I promised myself that I’d never move another bookcase…” Jonah said, running a hand across his forehead. “How did you get me to do this again?”  
“I asked,” Buffy replied from the armchair with a tired shrug. 

They sat, exhausted, in the living room, their bodies covered with a fine sheen of sweat. As usual, only Cyrus had any energy left, and he played with his wedding ring absentmindedly, black contrasting beautifully with his pale skin.  
“I promised myself that I’d never move another bookcase…” Jonah said, running a hand across his forehead. “How did you get me to do this again?”  
“I asked,” Buffy replied from the armchair with a tired shrug.

He chuckled breathlessly, and she rolled her shoulders before turning to the rest of the group.  
“Anyone thirsty?”  
“Parched.” Andi replied. Buffy smiled.  
“Great: we’ve got beer in the cooler.” 

Everyone else groaned.  
“We helped you move…” Amber muttered, crossing her arms. “Least you can do is hand them over.”  
“You helped Marty move, too.”  
“Fair point.” Amber turned to Marty and dialed her puppy dog eyes up to eleven. “Martyyyy.” 

Marty smirked wearily, but he stood up and walked to the cooler all the same. As they were covered by ice and the many water bottles that Buffy had insisted they buy, it took him a moment to fish out the cans. He sighed.  
“Bad news, guys: we’re one short of a six-pack.”  
“So I guess you and Buffy are going without?”

Marty pouted, dramatically placing a hand over his heart.  
“TJ, you wound me.”

Amber snorted.  
“Always.”

TJ playfully pulled her fishtail braid in retaliation. She squeaked.  
“Teej, play nice,” Cyrus said, ruffling TJ’s hair. TJ batted his hand away.

But Amber was no longer paying attention to them: Andi had leaned towards her from where she was perched on Jonah’s knee, to peck her lips.  
“There, there. All better.” 

Jonah rolled his eyes good-naturedly.  
“Such a whiner.” 

Andi laughed and turned to him.  
“There, there.” She repeated, kissing him briefly. “All better.”

Jonah’s bright blush made Buffy grin: she’d been friends with Andi and Cyrus since she was 7, and with the others since she was around 13, and their dynamics hadn’t changed. Their relationships were stable, a constant in her life, even with them studying in different places and doing different things. She wanted to ‘aww’ at everyone, but she wasn’t mushy, so she didn’t.

Marty did. And then he dared to ask her why she was staring at them. Doofus.

But she forgave him, because he dorkily kissed her so she ‘wouldn’t be jealous’. And then Cyrus snickered, kissing TJ so he wouldn’t feel left out. She rolled her eyes, but her grin widened.

\---

They were able to put everything away before dusk, leaving enough time for them to heatedly argue whether mac and cheese was part of a healthy diet or not. As it was a staple for Buffy and Marty, the group ended up having it for dinner anyway, adding orange soda, canned corn and spam so that Cyrus and Amber would stop complaining about their dinner being an unbalanced meal. They didn’t until they went home. Marty smiled as he saw them off.

When he closed the door, a worn-out Buffy finally left his side.  
“Mind if I shower first?” 

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, his reply mischievous.  
“Only if you promise not to use up all the hot water. Otherwise, you’ll leave me no choice but to shower with you.” 

Butterflies flittered in her stomach: he always teased her, but he never made a move. _But now that they’d moved in together_, the voice in her head told her, _maybe that’d change_.  
“Just for that, I’ll use it all.”   
“Fine, I’ll allow it, but just this once. Just don’t come out smelling like baby powder, ok?” 

She swatted his arm – since their camping trip, he’d never let that go. She was _so_ going to buy baby-powder-scented-everything to spite him.

\---

And, just like he did on their camping trip (and the couple of times they’d slept together in college), he turned her into the little spoon when she lay down. However, this time, there was a squarish foil packet on his nightstand. It was like their first anniversary all over again, nerves and all. She cleared her throat to ask if–

But no, she couldn’t ask him, so she’d just have to wait.

She shuddered.

And his arm tightened around her waist, making her tense up for a moment… But he didn’t do or say anything else.

Was he waiting for her to make the first move? He had always worried about making her comfortable, about doing things at her pace, but they were older now, and they’d been together for _years_, and it was their first night living together. So it kind of made sense for it to happen, didn’t it? Especially now that she wasn’t so sure that she wasn’t ready. It was like she’d gradually warmed up to the idea of being with him, though it still scared her.

So she had to tell him –no, she couldn’t, she’d better show him– that she was ok with them… _How could she put it politely?_

But first she took a minute to prepare herself. She was going to do this. She was going to do this.

Oh God, she was going to do this. She should have discussed it with Cyrus and Andi earlier.

And where was her red towel?

But no, she shouldn’t worry about the wet spot now – she had enough on her mind. And she had a general idea of how it all went; all she had to do was start slow to make sure she wouldn’t freak out. So she nervously placed her hand over his, intertwining their fingers. He didn’t move. She sighed: she’d foolishly hoped that he’d get the hint but, then again, he’d never taken a hint in these matters. Funny how he caught on to everything else before she did…

In his defense, it wasn’t really much of a hint anyway.

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, she slowly shifted their hands up to one of her breasts and cupped it. He could probably feel her frenzied heartbeat under his palm when he stiffened.  
“Buffy…”

She didn’t reply as she slowly turned around.

He was looking at her with a weird expression, and he freed his hand to caress her cheek.  
“What are you doing?” 

_Seriously?_ This time she couldn’t avoid an eye roll.  
“God, Marty.” She groaned in frustration and moved forward to kiss him. 

He returned the kiss just as eagerly, but broke it when she nipped his lip.  
“Buffy, wait–” He said, his body turning towards the nightstand. Her anxiousness intensified. 

However, instead of taking anything from it, he just turned on his lamp. She frowned: she wasn’t willing to have the lights on, not for her first time.

And then Marty was turning back to her, propping himself up on his elbow, his other hand back on her waist.  
“What are you doing?” He repeated. If she’d thought she’d been exasperated by him before…  
“I’m pretty sure you know.” 

Strangely, he looked troubled by her answer.  
“Is this what you want?” 

She just stared at him. He considered her for a couple of seconds.  
“Because it’s not what I want.” 

She raised her eyebrows.  
“Oh… ‘Cause you’re tired? Because I completely understand–”  
“No!” He laughed. “No, I…” His unease returned. “I just don’t want to.” 

She bit her lip.  
“You’re not in the mood?” 

He shook his head with a smile.  
“And I won’t be for a while.” 

Buffy frowned._ What?_

_Wait_… Her eyes widened: how could she have been so blind? She should have known by how he always wanted to cuddle but never went further; how he always wanted to kiss her, but never got to second base. How could she accept who Cyrus, and TJ, and Andi, and Jonah, and Amber were, and not him? How could she make him feel obligated to do something that he didn’t want to do, just to please her?

And she could live with who he was; it really didn’t bother her. So she hoped her face showed understanding and acceptance as she hugged him.  
“Oh, Marty, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know–” 

He budged her back gently.  
“Didn’t know what?”  
“That…” She felt her cheeks burn. Was he really going to make her say it? “…that you’re asexual.” 

He laughed harder this time, and pulled her close again, unable to speak until he calmed down.  
“Trust me, I’m not!”  
“Then what’s the problem?” Didn’t he want her? They’d been about to do it before –only a handful of times, but still– and he’d always brushed her off.

He shrugged.  
“I just want our first time to be special.” 

She pouted. Pressed as she was against his chest, he couldn’t see her pout.  
“Today _is_ special: we moved in together.”  
“I mean, I want it to be _really_ special.” 

She tried to rein in her disappointment. But why was she disappointed if she was still afraid? She tried to chuckle away her confusion.  
“_Really special?_ Like, with flowers and candles and the whole shebang?”  
“And champagne. You can’t forget that that day we’ll be chugging very expensive champagne.” 

She couldn’t help smiling as he lay back down, putting his arm around her shoulders. And then his free hand moved lower and the butterflies in her stomach went wild.

His fingers slowly skimmed her side before his palm softly ran down the back of her thigh. She shivered, and his eyes, that had been following his hand’s progress, met hers. He smirked.  
“I thought you wanted this.” She nodded, but he seemed unconvinced. His gaze softened. “There’s no need to freak out. I promise.”

But she wasn’t freaking out – she wanted this.

Didn’t she?

He brought his lips to hers and kissed her lightly, tenderly. She reacted to it instinctively, her hand going to his hair, her head tilting so he could deepen the kiss. And then she felt it, his hand more firmly against the back of her thigh, going behind her knee and bending it forward. Did he want her on him? She tried to move, but he pushed her hips down, stopping her.

Instead, he intertwined their legs, draping half of her body on top of his. And then he brought his hand back up to her chin, moving her so he could kiss her again. It was unhurried and loving, and she felt she was drowning in him with every second that passed…

He broke the kiss and pecked her forehead before turning off the light. She took a deep breath, hearing his heart beat steadily, cuddled against his side, feeling warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ends the '5 times they didn't' part of the series. I originally thought the '+1 they did' part would be rated M, but I decided to divide it in two: '+1 time they tried', which will be rated M, and '+1 time they did', which will be rated E 🙈🙈🙈  
Anyways, thank you very much for reading this 😊😊😊 I hope you enjoyed it as much as I liked writing it - as my first Muffy fic, I found both Buffy and (especially) Marty adorable and easy to work with 💖💖💖  
Again, thank you! Peace out!


End file.
